About Us
Zest Education was founded in 2014 and has become one of the market leading supply teaching agencies across London, the West Midlands and Staffordshire.
We are a specialist education agency, supplying teachers and support staff to nurseries, schools and alternative provisions across London, Staffordshire and the West Midlands.
With over 50 years’ of dedicated education recruitment experience, we understand everything that you go through on a daily basis when working in schools, nurseries and other provisions.
Get to know our team a little better below…
Scott Barker
Scott has worked in the education sector for more than 15 years and has an exceptional reputation in the industry due to the level of service he provides – a refreshing change in the recruitment world with his non-stop work ethic, transparency and passion for all things education.
Scott is well known for arriving into the office every morning with a latte – something that certainly allows him to hit the ground running so early in the morning.
Outside of work, Scott loves nothing more than spending time at home with his wife and two daughters. If he isn’t out enjoying an adventure with them, you can find him enjoying a nice glass of red wine or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
Mike Talbot
With a passion for Education recruitment and over 15 years’ experience in the industry, Mike loves to help people find their first, or next, teaching opportunity. Using his experience as a qualified teacher to advantage, Mike is able to offer a professional and high level of service to both schools and candidates.
Mike hails from Australia and has now made Lichfield his home. Previously, Mike played cricket to a semi-professional level playing for a number of prestigious Midlands clubs. He was once famous for batting twice on the Adelaide Oval, but failing to score a single run.
Now happily retired from competitive sport, he enjoys time with his two young sons, Freddie and Lachie, and wife, Laura.
Beth Blythe
As our Head of Operations, Beth has excelled in her career so far, from starting out as a Compliance Assistant in 2018 to now being the office’s ‘go to girl’ for all areas of the business.
Beth is also our Designated Safeguarding Lead, and is always looking for ways to refine or improve the processes at Zest to ensure we maintain our exceptionally high standards.
Outside of work Beth enjoys spending time with her Husband, friends, family and most importantly her fur-baby ‘Gigi’ the Frenchie.
Scott Daly
Scott is our resident Zimbabwean who used to work as a Cover Supervisor, so understands all areas of working within secondary schools. This allows him valuable insight into the day to day running of many of the local Staffordshire schools from both a candidate and a school’s perspective.
Now, having dealt with secondary schools in Staffordshire and the West Midlands for several years, Scott is our Head of Secondary and has found a passion in recruiting and placing candidates of a high standard within schools.
A fun-loving African, Scott made the life changing decision to relocate to the UK to pursue a professional cricket career (this was obviously very short lived). However, he is a true team player both on and off the field. When he is not wearing his whites, he enjoys watching/suffering the Red Devils and spending time with his friends and family.
Liam Fitzpatrick
Liam is our Head of Primary who, at the tender age of 22, decided to take the plunge into the world of education recruitment. Now, after several academic years in the industry, Liam has excelled within his career and built a great reputation by working with countless schools and candidates across the West Midlands.
Before entering the recruitment sector, Liam graduated university with a first class honours degree in cognitive neuroscience, which is currently put to great use in recruitment!
In his spare time he loves nothing more than relaxing with his wife & their dog – preferably with a pint in his hand.
Megan Jones
Megan is Zest’s Training and Development Manager who, after a highly successful career in another sector of sales, made a seamless transition into education recruitment several years ago. Megan has now established herself as a highly regarded person across Staffordshire thanks to the relationships she builds with candidates and schools alike and her passion for providing an amazing service to everybody that she works with.
Outside of work, Megan enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Her favourite thing to do is eat out at different restaurants and try different foods. Megan loves to travel and experience different cultures – her most recent and favourite place visited was Bali.
Mitch Joss
Mitch is our Head of SEND, with over 9 years of dedicated SEND experience, working with special needs schools across Staffordshire and the West Midlands. Having worked within SEND schools himself, he has an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the needs of our special needs environments and the ability to match candidates to each provision.
As a Bachelor of Science and with an Autistic brother, Mitch was naturally drawn to this sector. In 2018, he became a Team Teach tutor, which allows him to provide invaluable training to our staff, as well as developing the understanding of special needs for mainstream staff.
Outside of work, Mitch is a devoted father who can be found at the side lines of rugby pitches, watching his son at the weekend. He also spends quality time playing princesses with his daughter who, at 3 years old, is already practicing her eye rolls and telling him how things really work!
Charlie Tims
Charlie is our Principal Consultant, working closely with schools across south Birmingham and Solihull. She has worked in education recruitment for nearly 10 years and has vast experience across all areas of the business including resourcing, compliance and training. Charlie is passionate about recruiting the right people for the right roles and is always eager to go that extra mile.
Outside of work Charlie is either planning her next holiday or walking the dog to her local pub with her husband and Charlie Four legs (a wonderful labradoodle that just so happened to have the same name!).
Davie Thé
Davie has over 15 years’ experience within the Education Sector, having started as a primary teacher for 5 years in Inner London. He then made the transition into recruitment, where he has worked with schools in West and North West London for 11 years. Davie’s teaching experience enables him to perfectly match schools and candidates and he prides himself on providing top class customer service.
Outside of the office Davie is either running, in the gym, chasing after his two children (or in the pub if he gets a spare half an hour)!
Reggie Newman
Having joined the industry at 18 years of age as a Trainee, Reggie has over 10 years’ experience within the Education Sector. Looking to provide a personable, quality service to all schools and candidates alike, Reggie knows all aspects of Education Recruitment and is keen to develop and learn always!
Outside of work, you’ll find Reggie on the golf course or spending time with family and friends!
Anthony Smith
With over 10 years of teaching and subject leadership experience, Anthony is our Partnership Manager. Having worked across various schools and ages, he is knowledgeable about all things education and understands the standards and commitment required of the best teachers and teaching assistants. Passionate about teaching, he is always keen to help candidates find their vocation.
In his spare time, Anthony enjoys going for walks with his pet dog ‘Bo’ as well as trying (and failing) to complete DIY projects with potentially catastrophic consequences. He loves watching and playing sports but has finally come to the realisation that a professional football contract might not be coming his way. When he isn’t being given the run around on the pitch, he’s getting chased around Sutton Park by his 2 children.
Tom Phelps
Tom has experience of providing an unrivalled level of service thanks to his previous experience in fleet car sales. Now working closely with secondary schools across the West Midlands, Tom has proven to have an excellent eye for detail.
Tom is into all things sport and tattoos, supporting his local team, Aston Villa. He has two pet cats called Sushi and Cheddar, with his fiancé. Tom also loves new and old films and enjoys nothing more than watching a film with a Chinese takeaway, being a self-proclaimed Chinese food connoisseur.
Jo Bates
Jo is a consultant on our primary team, supporting schools across South Staffordshire and Burton. With a background in customer service and marketing, Jo brings a warm, approachable attitude to everything she does – whether she’s helping candidates find their perfect role or working closely with schools to understand and meet their staffing needs.
Education has always been close to Jo’s heart, having grown up with both parents working as teachers. This has given her a strong understanding of the sector and a genuine passion for supporting schools.
A Sports Marketing graduate, Jo previously worked at Old Trafford and remains a loyal (and often long-suffering!) Red Devils fan (just like Scott). She’s also passionate about staying active – whether it’s hitting the gym, or heading out on a new adventure.
Outside of work, you’ll find Jo enjoying a pint with her dad, visiting family in Manchester, or jetting off to Ibiza and other sunny destinations whenever she gets the chance.
Eve Stokes
Eve began her career as a hairdresser, where she mastered the art of building strong relationships and delivering exceptional service. Eve moved into recruitment in 2022, bringing her people skills and keen eye for talent into the business world.
Outside of work, Eve knows how to enjoy life — whether she’s drinking prosecco at a bottomless brunch, soaking up the excitement at the horse races, or cheering on her team Aston Villa. With a vibrant social life, Eve is also known for her network of cheeky famous contacts, adding a fun twist to everything she does!
Chris Ralph
Chris covers Birmingham and the Black Country for the SEND team. From his background in customer service, he understands the value of providing a quality and efficient service. With his passionate, determined and honesty-first approach, Chris is always happy to go above-and-beyond for his clients and candidates.
In his own time Chris loves the boxing, is an avid football fan, a cinema enthusiast and occasionally makes an appearance at the bowls club. But before anything, the self-proclaimed “Drama King” is usually spotted walking his greyhound rescue Delilah.
Sarah Daly
Sarah began her journey at Zest Education within the compliance team, where her meticulous approach and attention to detail quickly established her as a key contributor. She then progressed into the resourcing team, where she developed a passion for supporting candidates and schools alike. Sarah now works as a Consultant for Central and North Birmingham, where she is dedicated to delivering a consistently high level of service. She takes pride in building strong relationships with schools and candidates to ensure the needs of both are understood and met effectively.
With her strong work ethic and people-focused approach, she brings a wealth of transferable skills and a professional, solutions-driven mindset to her role in education recruitment.
Outside of work, Sarah enjoys spending time with her family and friends, keeping active at the gym and travelling (with the occasional trip back to her home country Zimbabwe to catch some sunshine).
Mia Kirby
Mia works on the SEND team at Zest Education and brings loads of energy to everything she does.
A year ago, she was living in Cyprus as a rep abroad, which sparked her love for travel, festivals, and nights out.
Outside of work, Mia is usually found in the gym, planning her next trip, or enjoying raves and festivals with friends.
Eve Mason
Eve joined Zest Education after graduating from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in Business Management with Law. Having recently returned to her hometown of Stafford, she is excited to begin her career in education recruitment. Eve is passionate about matching the right people to the right roles and enjoys building strong, lasting relationships with schools in her local community.
She brings enthusiasm, and a genuine interest in helping both schools and candidates achieve their goals. Eve enjoys the variety that comes with recruitment and is motivated by seeing the positive impact her work has in supporting education.
Outside of work, Eve loves travelling and exploring new places around the world – having recently returned from a trip around Europe. Closer to home, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, friends, and partner, and when relaxing, she can often be found with her much-loved cats.
Harleigh Piearce
Having graduated from university with a BSc degree in Sports Rehabilitation, Harleigh has made an exciting career change into education recruitment. Before joining Zest Education, she worked as a sports coach in primary schools across the Midlands, where she discovered her passion for working with children and supporting their development.
With a strong background in sport, Harleigh brings excellent communication skills, energy, and a team-focused mindset to her role. She now works in the SEND division, supporting schools across Coventry and Warwickshire and is committed to finding the right fit for both schools and candidates.
Away from work, Harleigh enjoys spending time with friends, baking sweet treats and exploring new places. She loves to travel whenever she gets the chance, always looking for her next adventure and a bit of sunshine!
Grace Simpson
Grace is our Resourcer Manager, who previously had 8 years of experience in the Healthcare Sector before joining the world of recruitment. Starting off as a Carer, she soon realised she had a passion for helping people get their dream job. After having her first child, Grace thought it was time to transfer her skillset into a different sector and delved into education recruitment. Since then Grace has recruited staff for Primary, Secondary and SEND Schools across London, the West Midlands and Staffordshire.
When Grace is not at work you will find her spending time with her son Nico, or bottomless brunching with the girls when she does have some child free time!
Becky Nicholas
Becky is one of our Principal Education Resourcers, supporting the Secondary Division. Becky has worked in various customer service roles, so is easily approachable, happy to help and always goes the extra mile to provide the best level of service around. Becky has always had a keen interest in recruitment, as she enjoys helping others and the fulfilment of getting them their dream school or working environment.
When Becky is not at work, she enjoys spending her time taking her very active Collie for walks (although 10 miles is never enough for him), catching up on the latest shows and films on Netflix and trying to perfect her hand in the kitchen.
Madison Dean
After graduating from university with a degree in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice, Madison joined the Primary division and is eager to advance her career in the field of Education Recruitment. Madison is constantly eager to develop new skills and always provides a warm, approachable face to our candidates.
Outside of the office, Madison enjoys travelling to new places, dining out, and spending time with family and friends. However, Madison spends majority of her time at home with her two beloved cats, Harper and Lacey.
Sophie Chapman
Sophie spent over 10 years working within the retail management sector before taking the leap into recruitment. Sophie has nearly 4 years’ experience as a Recruitment Resourcer and spent 2 years in South Australia travelling and working as a Resourcer across white and blue collar roles before moving into the Education world of recruitment at Zest in 2025, supporting the Secondary Division across Staffordshire.
Sophie spends her spare time travelling, keeping fit and drinking coffee or wine!
Chloe Dorey
Chloe works within the Primary Division, specialising in resourcing and helping candidates find their dream roles in primary schools. With a year of previous experience in education recruitment and a BA in Media and Communications, she brings both knowledge and enthusiasm to connecting the right people with the right opportunities.
Outside of work, you will find Chloe attending concerts, reading a good book, running, and spending time with her rescue dog, Jack.
Charlotte Edgar
Charlotte graduated university with a degree in Primary Education, giving her a strong understanding of the classroom environment and the challenges teachers face. After becoming a qualified teacher, she realised the classroom setting wasn’t the right fit for her and transitioned into a career in recruitment. Eager to develop new skills, she is committed to helping find the perfect school for other teachers.
Outside of work, you’ll likely find her relaxing at home, invested in a good series or game. If not, chances are she’s hanging out with friends enjoying food, drinks and live music.
Phoebe Ratcliffe
Phoebe has previously worked as management in the retail sector so is easily approachable, happy to help and always goes the extra mile to provide the best level of service around. From being an Education Consultant placing staff in secondary schools across Birmingham, Phoebe now resources across the Secondary Division and has proven she will always provide a professional service to everybody that she works with.
Phoebe spends her time out of work with her son Reijn, who definitely keeps her on her toes, and playing netball – a passion she’s had from a young age.
Jennie Ivey
Jennie has over 20 years’ administration experience ranging from Reception to Office Manager and quickly settled into her role as our Finance Assistant and Administrator in 2020.
Jennie worked as a Teaching Assistant at a small Special School based in Costa Rica before she moved to the UK and embarked on a career in Administration. She took a few years out to study Homebased Child Care and set up her own childminding business while raising her own 3 children.
She loves spending time with her friends, watching films, walks in nature, playing all manner of games or simply enjoying lovely home cooked food with her family.
Jennie may be the oldest in the office but certainly remains young at heart and a team player. Jennie loves meaningful conversation, a good laugh but remains professional and dedicated to her role at all times.
Lucy Walters
Since graduating from the University of Manchester last year, Lucy joined the Secondary division as a Consultant and is excited to develop her skills in the Education Recruitment sector.
Lucy has an extensive background in customer service and sales, with management experience in both the Retail and Student Accommodation sectors. She prides herself on being approachable and personable and is extremely passionate about providing a high level of service to both the candidates and the schools she works with.
Outside of the office Lucy loves to stay active, whether that is going to the gym with her partner or going to her Wednesday running club. She spends the rest of her free time with her friends and family, and can be found having an iced latte with her mom each day on her lunch. Lucy also loves to travel and explore new places, having just spent the last few months travelling across Europe with her partner.
Bethany Wood
Bethany is a valued member of our compliance team. After initially training as a Primary School teacher, she soon realised that the classroom wasn’t the right path for her and decided to pursue a career in recruitment. Since joining Zest in 2021, she has developed her expertise and now works as one of our Senior Compliance Administrators.
Outside of work, Bethany enjoys spending quality time with her family and her two beloved dogs, Minnie and Dinky. In her downtime, she can often be found binge-watching reality TV or heading out on family outings. Bethany has recently discovered her love for Cruises and hopes to be able to go on more soon.
Grace Szamek
Grace is one of our Senior Compliance Administrators. Grace has been flourishing in the role and has shown she has excellent work ethic and determination for success.
In her spare time, Grace enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She is an avid supporter of Aston Villa and often goes to Villa Park. She loves spending time with her dog, Chewy, who certainly lives up to his reputation!
Liv Williams
Liv is part of the Compliance team at Zest. With previous experience in Finance and Sales, she wanted to gain more experience in the world of recruitment by joining our compliance team and hasn’t looked back since.
In her spare time, Liv enjoys listening to a true crime podcast, reading a good book, spending time with her Husky, Sam, and booking holidays in Lanzarote (her home away from home) with her Mum.
Abbie Hammant
After graduating university with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance, Abbie jumped straight into the world of administration from recruitment to HR, and leading her more recently into the compliance team at Zest. Before this, Abbie spent most of her time performing on stage and teaching dance to the younger generations, experiencing first-hand the resilience and dedication it takes to teach children.
Nowadays, Abbie still loves to dance but also enjoys cozy evenings with a good book and a candle. Abbie is currently trying to convince her boyfriend to get a dog so she can spend those cozy evenings with a ‘furiend’.
Nelly Jones
Nelly is the newest member of the Compliance team and is completing her apprenticeship with Zest.
Nelly spends all her time out of work with her friends, and having a glass (or bottle) of wine. She often likes to go on long walks with her 2 dogs, Tom & Pip, and is learning a new musical instrument – the trumpet!
Work for us...
As well as working with teachers and support staff in schools and other provisions, we want to have the best talent working for us.
If you believe you have the same passion for education that we do and you would like to work in a fun, fast paced and highly rewarding environment, get in touch today.
You can email your CV and covering letter to hello@zesteducation.co.uk.
Our values
Personable
Our team are always friendly and approachable and will do everything they can to put you at ease in your search for work. We’re ‘people people’ that love working in partnership with the best talent and schools, nurseries and other provisions from across London, Staffordshire and the West Midlands.
We will get to know you as an individual as we believe that every day should be fulfilling for our candidates, pupils and our schools and provisions.
Honest
We believe in pure honesty at all times. Schools need the right person for the job, and candidates want honest feedback in order to perform at their best.
By being completely transparent, everybody knows exactly what they’re getting, and students are more likely to get the quality education they need.
Professional
What drives us is the knowledge that with every placement, we’re changing young people’s lives. So, whilst we enjoy being lighthearted from time to time, such a big responsibility means that we take our work very seriously.
With a dedicated compliance and safeguarding team, we are always fully committed to safeguarding and attention to detail, and pride ourselves on being professional in all possible situations.